Yesterday I was playing videogames in my room when I heard

people screaming. I went out and saw: my neighbors’ house

was on fire!
In less than 10 minutes the firemen arrived and fought
against the fire for one hour until they made it. Wow! They
are really brave! One of them entered the house and saved
the Johnson’s dog that was trapped in the fire.
I made a decision: I want to be a fireman when I grow up. I’ll
be strong and brave enough to fight against the fire, to save
people’s lives and property. I can’t wait! I can already see it in
the newspaper: “Brave fireman rescues a family of four”,
Mom will be really proud.

Mark true (T) or false (F). When it’s false,

you’ll have to justify your answer orally:
The boy’s house was on fire. ( )
The boy thinks the firemen are brave. ( )
He admires the firefighters. ( )
It took long the firemen to arrive. ( )
It took one hour to extinguish the fire. ( )
The boy’s neighbors have a pet. ( )
A fireman saved the dog’s life. ( )
The boy wants to be a firefighter when he grows
up. ( )
He wants to be as strong and brave as the
firefighters. ( )

Answer the questions:

What was the boy doing when the neighbors’ house caught fire?
______________________________________________________________________
Did he want to be a fireman before that day?
______________________________________________________________________
Why did he decide to be a fireman in the future?
______________________________________________________________________
What qualities does he think are essential for being a fireman?
______________________________________________________________________
What can he already see in the newspaper?
______________________________________________________________________
Who do you think the newspaper is referring to?
______________________________________________________________________
How does the boy think his mother will feel? Do you agree with him?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Have you ever seen a house burning up?
__________________________________
Do you know someone whose house burned
out? What difficulties did the house owner
face because of that?
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
Do you think that a house burning is the worst “ I was playing videogames when I heard
thing that can happen to a family? Why (not)? people screaming.” A long action (play
__________________________________ videogames) was taking place in the past when
__________________________________ a short action (hear people screaming)
What can we do to avoid it? happened. The long action is expressed with
__________________________________ the verb to be in the past (was / were) + a
__________________________________ verb in the –ing form. The short action is
__________________________________ expressed with the past simple. Complete the
__________________________________ sentences below:
A. Mark ______________________ when
the phone __________________. [study /
ring]
B. Victoria _________________ when we
The boy wants to be strong and brave like the ________________________ lunch. [arrive
firemen. He wants to be as strong and brave / have ]
as the fireman. Complete with comparison of C. Mom ___________________ some
equality: carrots when she _________________ her
1. A TV is ___________________________ finger. [slice / cut]
a computer. [expensive] D. Gerald and Philip ___________________
2. My sister is _______________________ from work when the car _______________
a mule. [stubborn] into a wall. [return / crash]
3. Snow White was ____________________ E. The kids ______________________
snow. [white] outside when the storm ________________.
4. Physics is _________________________ [to play / to start]
math in my opinion. [difficult] F. I _________________________ when
5. John is _________________________ a the dog _______________________ away.
dummy. [dumb] [sleep / run]

Complete with the comparative of equality in the affirmative or negative (A bike is not as
expensive as a car.) in order to make sense:
1. Mary is ____________________________ Tom; he is 4 feet and she is 3 foot 10. [tall]
2. Clara’s mother is her role model. She wants to be __________________________ her
mother when she grows up. [intelligent]
3. Let’s buy the radio at that other store, because it is ___________________________ it is
here. [expensive]
4. This pair of pants is ________________________________ that one because that one is
newer. [black]
5. I love science because it’s __________________________ math. I hate math! [tough]
TEACHER’S KEYS
Mark true (T) or false (F). When it’s false,
you’ll have to justify your answer orally:
The boy’s house was on fire. ( F )
The boy thinks the firemen are brave. ( T )
He admires the firefighters. ( T )
It took long the firemen to arrive. ( F )
It took one hour to extinguish the fire. ( T )
The boy’s neighbors have a pet. ( T )
A fireman saved the dog’s life. ( T )
The boy wants to be a firefighter when he grows
up. ( T )
He wants to be as strong and brave as the
firefighters. ( T )
Answer the questions:
What was the boy doing when the neighbors’
house caught fire?
HE WAS PLAYING VIDEOGAMES.
Did he want to be a fireman before that day?
NO, HE DECIDED TO BE A FIREMAN AFTER
THAT DAY.
Why did he decide to be a fireman in the future?
BECAUSE THE ADMIRE THE FIREMEN.
What qualities does he think are essential for
being a fireman?
HE THINKS THEY MUST BE BRAVE AND
STRONG.
What can he already see in the newspaper?
‘A BRAVE FIREMAN RESCUES A FAMILY OF
FOUR”
Who do you think the newspaper is referring to?
IT’S REFERRING TO THE BOY IN
FUTURE.
How does the boy think his mother will feel? Do
you agree with him?
HE THINKS SHE’LL FEEL PROUD.
A. Mark WAS STUDYING when the phone
RANG. [study / ring]
B. Victoria ARRIVED when we WERE HAVING
lunch. [arrive / have ]
C. Mom WAS SLICING some carrots when she
CUT her finger. [slice / cut]
D. Gerald and Philip WERE RETURNING from
work when the car CRASHED into a wall. [return /
crash]
E. The kids WERE PLAYING outside when the
storm STARTED. [to play / to start]
F. I WAS SLEEPING when the dog RAN away.
[sleep / run]
1. A TV is AS EXPENSIVE AS a computer.
[expensive]
2. My sister is AS STUBBURN AS a mule.
[stubborn]
3. Snow White was AS WHITE AS snow. [white]
4. Physics is AS DIFFICULT AS math in my
opinion. [difficult]
5. John is AS DUMB AS a dummy. [dumb]
Complete with the comparative of equality in
the affirmative or negative (A bike is not as
expensive as a car.) in order to make sense:
1. Mary is NOT AS TALL AS Tom; he is 4 feet
and she is 3 foot 10. [tall]
2. Clara’s mother is her role model. She wants to
be AS INTELLIGENT AS her mother when she
grows up. [intelligent]
3. Let’s buy the radio at that other store,
THE because it is NOT AS EXPENSIVE AS it is here.
[expensive]
4. This pair of pants is NOT AS BLACK AS that
one because that one is newer. [black]
5. I love science because it’s NOT AS TOUGH
AS math. I hate math! [tough]
 PAST SIMPLE
Form: we add “ed” to all regular verbs,
Irregular verbs must be learnt by heart.
We use the Past Simple for something in the past which
is finished.
 He played tennis yesterday.
 The children went to the park this morning.
PAST CONTINUOUS
Form: was/were + verb + ing
The Past Continuous means that at a time in the past we
were in the middle of an action.
 We were playing tennis at 4 p.m. yesterday.
 They were eating when we arrived.
We use: wasn’t/weren’t + verb + ing for negatives:

We use “did” to make questions and “didn’t” for
negatives. The verb stays in the base form.
 Did you see Bob yesterday?
 They didn’t come to the party on Sunday.
 John wasn’t reading a book when we arrived.
We use: was/were + subject + verb + ing for
questions:
 Was she making dinner when you got home?

1. He _______________ (wait) for half an hour before they _________ (arrive).

2. Where _____________ (he/go) when you _________ (see) him?
3. He ____________ (phone) me to say they would be late.
4. She _____________ (talk) to John on the phone when I _________ (walk) in.
5. _________________ (she/know) they ____________ (come) to the party?
6. How many people ___________ (sit) in the waiting room when you __________ (arrive)?
7. I __________ (meet) them in the street while I _____________ (shop).
8. The postman ___________ (arrive) while I _________ (leave) the house.
9. The children ______________ (make) so much noise that I __________ (not/hear) the phone ring.
10. We ____________ (walk) down by the river when it _________ (start) to rain.
11. The storm ____________ (start) while we __________ (drive) back from London.
12. They ________ (meet) when they _________________ (work) in Paris.
13. What time ______________ (she/arrive) last night?
14. He _________ (break) his foot while he ___________ (play) football on Saturday.
15. I ___________ (not/like) to disturb her because she _____________ (study).
16. I ______ (cut) my finger while I ______________ (chop) vegetables.
17. The plane ____________ (leave) over an hour late.
18. I _____________ (drive) fast when I was flashed by the speed camera.
19. What ________________(you/do) at 8 p.m. yesterday?
20. My parents _____(go) to several concerts while they __________ (stay) in Paris.

KEY He was waiting for half an hour before they arrived. / Where was he going when you saw him?/ He
phoned me to say they would be late./ 3. She was talking to John on the phone when I walked in./ Did she
know they were coming to the party?/ 3. How many people were sitting in the waiting room when you
arrived?/ I met them in the street while I was shopping./ The postman arrived while I was leaving the house./
The children were making so much noise that I didn’t hear the phone ring./ We were walking down by the
river when it started to rain./The storm started while we were driving back from London./ They met when they
were working in Paris./ What time did she arrive last night?/ He broke his foot while he was playing football
on Saturday./ I didn’t like to disturb her because she was studying./ I cut my finger while I was chopping
vegetables./ The plane left over an hour e./ I as driving fast when I was flashed by the speed camera. / What
were you doing at 8 p.m. yesterday?/ My parents went to several concerts while they were staying in Paris.